“No,” I say, trying my best to look devastated. “I said I was sorry, but he really was done.”
“Well.” Madison looks at me sympathetically. “This party rocks anyway. Just try your best to forget him, honey.”
“Yeah. My brother can be a stubborn ass,” Hayes says. “Come on. I can’t believe we did that. Your grandmother is ready to skin you alive, but Khaki seems happy for some reason.”
“I think she’s drunk,” Madison says.
“I’ll be right there,” I say, glancing around to see if anyone’s near enough to the door to see me slip out. My heart is pounding. Am I really going to do this?
“Okay, but don’t be too long,” Hayes says.
“Yeah, this booze isn’t going to drink itself.” Madison laughs, wrapping an arm around Dex’s waist.
But I’m not listening anymore. I don’t have to. I feel sorry for my friends, that they have to be trapped here. But I’ve got the key to freedom—the necklace.
I dive back into the party, then dart to the ladies’ lounge. I’ve already scoped out the window I’ll use to get the hell out of this place.
32
The Oglethorpe-Williams mansion is only a few blocks away from my grandmother’s house, and I run all the way, with my long beaded gown hitched up to my thighs. I tossed off my silver Miu Mius outside the hall, hoping they’ll be found by someone with a shoe fetish and size-nine feet. I figure I have about a half hour before everyone realizes I’m not at the ball—just enough time to stuff some clothes into my backpack and get out of here.
I assume that once I cross the Savannah border, all the magic will wear off. I’ll be back to my medium-to-large self and sporting the old dreads again—or, worse yet, bald. I guess I’m okay with that, especially since Thaddeus said he liked me better the old way. But it also presents a packing quandary: Do I pack my old clothes, which I pretty much swim in now, or the new stuff? If my old body returns, I won’t be able to get even one leg into those size-zero pants. I settle for a mix of both old and new clothes, plus a couple of the most expensive pieces, because maybe I can sell those for extra cash.
The money is the trickiest part. Without my grandmother’s ridiculously generous allowance and her gold card, I have almost nothing. My mom left only her personal effects; and though her collection of crystals has a lot of sentimental value, it won’t bring much at a pawnshop. Of course, this house is full of expensive stuff, but even though I detest my grandmother and what she did to my family, I can’t bring myself to steal from her. The most valuable thing I own is my buzzard’s rock—a piece that wouldn’t even go for a dollar at a regular store. I touch it with my fingers, thanking my mother for the key to my freedom.
But then I remember all of those pearls and rings in my mom’s room. Technically, I inherited everything. She’d want me to have them. So, after changing from the ball gown into my cutoffs, I head out to the porch one last time to break into my mother’s room.
As soon as I do my signature awkward flip and hit the floor, I can feel that something is different. I’ve never been in here in the dark before. At those other times, I could feel my mother’s presence, but tonight it’s stronger.
In spite of myself, I’m spooked. I make a beeline to her dresser to look through the jewelry. Just as I remembered, there are a couple of strands of pearls with jeweled clasps, a delicate silver watch, and an opal ring. I guess my mom didn’t think she’d need them when she left Savannah.
Then I freeze. There is someone behind me. A woman. I can see her silhouette against the dim blue light from the window. And even though I might be crazy, I know exactly who it is.
“Mom?” I whisper.
She steps forward.
“The night they drove old Dixie Down…” she sings.
“Mom?”
It’s definitely her. She’s pale, and her eyes are darker than I remember, but it’s my mom. I reach out and touch her arm. Her skin is icy and clammy. I draw away.
“Are you alive?”
“Is Constance coming over?” she asks.
“Constance? Mom, are you okay?”
“We’re all going to the concert, right?” She looks around then back at me again. “Are you from school?”